


challenge me

by kaiohtic



Series: challenge me [1]
Category: EXO (Band), K-pop
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-14
Updated: 2015-10-14
Packaged: 2018-04-26 09:42:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4999954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaiohtic/pseuds/kaiohtic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>jongin and sehun have always been playing pranks on each other, challenging each other to do bigger and better, but what if one of those pranks challenges their friendship?</p>
            </blockquote>





	challenge me

**Author's Note:**

> written for my angel abby and myself. happy birthday to us c:

In all the years of friendship Sehun and Jongin have been nothing but the kind of best friends that get on each other’s nerves and annoy each other. They are childhood friends actually, just a few months apart in age and almost neighbors. Living in the same apartment complex it was just a matter of time until baby Sehun and baby Jongin would eventually meet outside on the playground and play together while their mothers befriended each other for every new mother was insecure and loved to have a friend in the same situation to exchange tips and tricks.  
  
They have started out rather friendly, sharing toys with one another, sharing candy as well, but somewhere along the line, as they grew up, they both turned into little devils and troublemakers, though that might have been instigated by Sehun’s little pranks that turned bigger and greater over time, and Jongin, the best friend, but also a rival when it comes to gaining attention - though now he admits, to himself at least, that he just wanted Sehun’s attention and recognition. And so one thing leads to the other.  
  
People would expect both boys to slowly calm down and focus more on studies and their future like everyone else; they are high school seniors now after all, but next to studies and soccer club they both still find the time to prank each other. They have stopped pulling pranks on other people as they got into trouble far too often in the past. Not to mention that people would think of them as bullies otherwise, but if they just bully each other, no one really questions them. They are rather anticipating what will happen next, after Jongin’s last prank in which he had colored Sehun’s freshly dyed blonde hair in a broccoli green shade. Sehun had been glaring at him for a week, only talking to Jongin again when Jongin had begged Sehun and bribed him with a whole week of bubble tea.  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin is a bit antsy now, actually. They are best friends, but since they’ve been keeping up their games and challenges, he knows that Sehun won’t go easy on him. This, too, is part of their game, and with every game, this, too, has rules.  
  
One of the rules they established is that one could only start acting after being pranked. They have to take turns, but not knowing when the other might strike always builds up tension, making the whole thing more exciting, but more stressful as well. Not that Jongin complains. They’ve been doing this for so many years that it’s almost natural to him, minus the time he has to wait for Sehun’s next blow.  
  
With Jongin’s hair dye prank being over two months ago, the anticipation is killing him. Never has Sehun waited so long to get revenge. He hasn’t asked Sehun why, but tried to calm himself by explaining Sehun’s behavior with the stress of final exams and college entrance exams they would have to prepare for soon. Maybe Sehun will leave him alone for another month, even if it sounds very unlikely of Sehun. Who actually knows?  
  
  
  
  
  
There’s not much time to think about their ritual game when exams are so close. Sehun hasn’t mentioned it, but by the looks of it, the game is paused. They both spend their time studying their asses off to get decent results. Not that they are terribly bad students or super dumb; they were just a bit inattentive at times and lazy, too, so now, by the end of the year, they had to cram.  
  
It is only after exams that Jongin finally finds the time to wonder if Sehun wants to stop this childish game altogether. They’re going to be in college soon after all.  
  
When he asks Sehun if he has prepared a prank yet, Sehun just shrugs him off with a  _who knows?_. It makes Jongin worry a bit, more so when everything seems eerily peaceful. He knows that when Sehun acts all unknowing and innocent, that is when he has something plannes. Jongin can’t ask what it is though. Sooner or later he will learn about it.  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin knows something is off the moment he nears school grounds. People are not so subtly staring at him and whispering, giggling even, and when he looks, confused and questioningly, they turn away. Something must have happened and Jongin has no doubt that it must have to do with Sehun. After all, he has been waiting for Sehun to play a prank on him, but this time he has absolutely no idea what is going on. He can only hope it’s nothing too bad.  
  
The first thing he does when he sees Sehun sitting in his regular seat second row next to the window, is to walk over to his best friend and demand answers. Before he can even open his mouth to ask though, Sehun is already grinning at him, a hand offering the explanation.  
  
There is a book in Sehun’s hand, not just one book but their yearbook, freshly printed and probably only distributed today. Jongin blinks but takes the yearbook nonetheless, wanting to ask why people are staring at him and what Sehun has done for people to behave so oddly because Jongin himself has done nothing embarrassing, not that he can remember.  
  
“Aren’t you going to look through it?” Sehun says. Jongin only sighs and does so to please Sehun. He knows Sehun has been working on the yearbook with the other commitee members for weeks, so the least he can do now is look through it and appreciate Sehun’s hard work, even if it might not look that good - because Jongin doubts Sehun’s layouting and design skills.  
  
He opens the book and quickly skims through the pages, only halting here and there to take a closer look when he spots pictures of their class, of Sehun and of Jongin, too. And he is pleasantly surprised. Everything looks quite neat and Jongin remembers very well how everyone had to fill out some kind of profile, as well as submitting two pictures, one current one and a baby photo.  
  
Jongin smiles as he reads through his best friend’s page. Despite knowing all the things listed there - Sehun’s favorite color being sky blue, his favorite food being spicy soup, his favorite subject at school being physics - it is still nice to have a list as reminder. The picture Sehun has chosen, too, are ones that Jongin knows too well. The baby picture is one taken at Sehun’s fourth birthday where Jongin’s parents have bought a little bike for Sehun. They have taken Jongin to buy a present for Sehun and he has chosen the red bike.  
  
The picture of Sehun now is also one that Jongin remembers because he has been the one to take it. Sehun is making a dumb pose there, the sailor moon pose, and while it is definitely dumb, it is kind of cute, too. Sehun’s smile there with crinkled eyes and everything - totally stupid, but also adorable.  
  
It is only when he turns the page to find his own profile that Jongin freezes. He understands now. The people that have been staring at him. They must be wondering if he was still doing that. That meaning getting dolled up like a pretty princess.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“Jongin, I’m sorry, I really am,” Sehun says, but Jongin doesn’t listen. He is fuming. Sehun, being a member of the yearbook committee, had changed the pictures Jongin had submitted for his own personal profile page. Instead of a picture of a two year old baby Jongin, Sehun has placed a picture of ten or eleven year old Jongin in a pink dress, his face decorated with pink blush and grotesque red lipstick. Of course it wasn’t Jongin’s doing, but people would never assume that he had been used as his elder sisters personal doll and make up experiment. People wouldn’t care about it. All they see is that picture of Jongin - and it’s not only their class, but the whole grade, all the seniors - in a girlish attire.  
  
“I don’t care,” Jongin fumes, his steps fast as he tries to outrun Sehun. “You crossed a limit with that. It’s not fun anymore, it’s just plain stupid and hurtful.”  
  
Jongin’s reputation was severely damaged now, and although they only had one week left - four days actually since Monday was pretty much over - he knew people would now only remember him as that guy who wore make up in his youth, and thanks to Oh Sehun, people would never forget it. It was printed in a hundred exemplars of their grade’s yearbook.  
  
“Jongin, please, forgive me,” Sehun says, almost begging, but there is nothing to forgive. Jongin is mad, for real this time, and no matter how much Sehun tried to bribe him with paid lunch and chicken he would not budge. Not even when Sehun promised to give his most prized possession, a retro Nintendo Entertainment System, something a nerd like Sehun is proud of (Jongin would be, too).  
  
Usually Jongin would give in, but this time Sehun went overboard. The prank might have been funny for Sehun and everyone else, but for Jongin who would laugh each time he got pranked, this time he couldn’t laugh. Those pictures were part of a childhood he wanted to forget, a secret that only Sehun knew because they were childhood friends. He thought Sehun knew how sensitive Jongin was when it came to proving his manliness, but apparently he had been wrong.  
  
“Jongin, don’t just run away, tell me how to make it up to you. I don’t want to fight, Jongin. I don’t want to lose you as my best friend.”  
  
How easy Sehun could say those words after the deed is done. Jongin hears the sincere tone, but it just drives him madder. After all, Sehun had a brain. He could have thought about the consequences too, instead of just planning the prank, disregarding the negative effects it might have.  
  
“Why don’t you ever put your brain to use? Ever heard of ‘better being safe than to be sorry’? I guess not or else you wouldn’t have done this,” Jongin says, slapping away the hand that stretches out to touch him. He doesn’t want Sehun around right now, and when he stands in front of his apartment later he doesn’t invite Sehun in as usual. He even pushes Sehun back, just to make sure his friend would not follow inside. Ex friend. Jongin doesn’t consider Sehun a friend anymore.  
  
  
  
  
  
It occurs to him, that he might have been too hard on Sehun. Sehun has never meant ill, they are best friends after all. Jongin knows the best that Sehun is a good kid actually. It is only bad luck combined with childish naivity that often results in… catastrophes. Well, at least no one else is harmed. It is only Jongin who is suffering this time, but does that make it any better?  
  
Jongin tries his best to forgive Sehun but he can’t. Not when he is thinking about the next day at school, about the taunting gazes and the mocking words. He can say whatever he wants to. Everyone will look at him and laugh, calling him princess and other terms that are supposed insults to his masculinity. And all just because he has allowed Sehun to keep up with this stupid tradition.  
  
For the rest of the day Jongin locks himself up in his room, and not even when his mother asks why Sehun hasn’t come over to do homework or to play video games with does he ease up. He is as upset as before, and if things continue like that, he is pretty sure their friendship will be over. Completely over.  
  
Sehun needs to prove that he is really sorry. Just words are not enough this time.  
  
  
  
  
  
He has contemplated on skipping the last week of school but that is not an option. Jongin’s mother looks right through him, knowing he is just putting on an act with his fake coughing. He has never been a good liar and an even worse actor.  
  
Jongin ends up going to school, and as usual he arrives there a few minutes before the lesson starts. He could walk with Sehun since they are still neighbors, but even when not fighting they don’t go to school together. Jongin has a habit of sleeping in while Sehun hates to be rushed in the morning. That is why Sehun always goes early enough so he can take his time. So when Jongin enters the classroom and spots his best friend (ex best friend?) nowhere, he is slightly irritated. Is Sehun skipping school now just to avoid him? That would be pretty coward.  
  
Busying himself with doodling into his notebook, Jongin only looks up when a collective gasp is heard. He looks to the door, eyes wide as saucers when he sees Sehun standing there. And Sehun isn’t just standing there doing a dumb pose as usual, but he looks flustered instead, cheeks pink as his hands are occupied with holding down the plaid skirt he is wearing. Jongin blinks and stares at pale and pretty much hairless legs, long and nicely shaped.  
  
It definitely is Sehun although at first no one really wants to believe it. Jongin can hear the whispers of  _’Is that Sehun?’_  and  _’Since when did Sehun have a twin sister?_. He rolls his eyes at that, knowing for sure that there is no twin. Sehun doesn’t have any siblings at all. So why is Sehun coming to school in a girl’s school uniform? And where the hell did he produce a girl’s uniform from?  
  
Jongin is still staring when Sehun walks into the classroom, the confidence missing in his steps. Instead, Sehun walks hesitantly, almost cautious. Jongin only realizes it is his fault that Sehun is not like himself when Sehun stands at his regular seat, the one next to Jongin, his eyes hopeful as he asks: “Hey, can I sit down here?”  
  
Jongin nods and tries his best not to peek at his best friend. Ex best friend. Whatever.  
  
  
  
  
  
“Okay, so what in the world made you do… this?” Jongin asks and gestures vaguely at Sehun’s lower body. He hates to admit it, but Sehun looks good in a girl’s uniform. Too good. His calves are nice and toned, his legs overall long and slender. His thighs, too, they look enticing. Jongin has never noticed before, not in all the times they changed for sports classes, but he certainly notices now, especially when Sehun keeps shifting like that, the skirt riding up a bit. Geez, I need to stop staring, he reprimands himself.  
  
“You said I should think before doing something. So I was thinking of how to apologize. I figured if I did this, we would be even?”  
  
Jongin wishes he could scoff at that, but every thought of being mean and showing Sehun the cold shoulder disperses when he sees how affected Sehun seems to be. Sehun is never this worried. He rarely shows nervosity, but right now and right here, Sehun is pressing his lips together, eyes flickering to look here and there, but never staying at one place, never meeting Jongin’s eyes.  
  
And yet he couldn’t make it too easy. If Sehun got away just like that he would never learn. Jongin is happy though. He doesn’t show it but he is, because this, what Sehun is doing shows how important this friendship is to him. Sehun cherishes their friendship just as much as Jongin does and despite not wanting to be so forgiving, Jongin’s anger simply dissipates.  
  
“Why would you think so?” Jongin asks, trying to get Sehun to look back at him, but Sehun doesn’t. Sehun is staring at his own lap instead, and Jongin is staring there now, too.  
  
“I thought if I put myself in your shoes I could feel how you’re feeling. You would believe me when I sincerely tell you I’m sorry. Do you?” Sehun asks.  
  
Jongin is still quite torn. He wants to make Sehun suffer a bit more but that would make him a bad friend. Jongin prides himself in being a friend everyone wants, everyone envies you to have, so he nods, a tiny smile on his face that grows gradually as Sehun beams at him.  
  
“Apology accepted,” he says.  
  
“Really? I’m glad,” Sehun whispers, now able to look back at Jongin it seems.  
  
“Under one condition.”  
  
Sehun nods frantically. “Anything you want. Just be my best friend again.”  
  
“You’re wearing the skirt every day until this week is over.”  
  
Sehun stares at him like he is the most despicable creature on earth. Jongin might be. But he also knows that Sehun still wants to be his best friend so Sehun will cave in.


End file.
